I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert.

Jason Love

There are few things more universally well-loved than desserts. You might think you’re the expert on baked goods or ice creams, but think again (unless you’re Adriano Zumbo then… yes, you know what you’re talking about). This list isn’t about your average desserts or even above-average ones. It’s about blow-your-freaking-mind desserts. Ones that defy gravity, ones that make you contemplate whether or not you’ll be able to move after eating them, or ones that may take 12 people to eat them but they’re delicious and it’s vacation so who cares.

All of the following desserts make me wish the whole “calories don’t count on vacation” saying was true. I want to eat all of these. Right now. I’d probably go into a glycemic coma, but there’s no denying that all of these are incredibly amazing to look at, are unique and so so so appetizing. Feast your eyes because New York City has some of the best of the best when it comes to outrageous desserts. Enjoy!

Wowfulls Waffles

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1950s style Hong Kong waffles anyone? This decadent shop was opened by 3 friends who all “shared a sweet tooth and an idea for an awesome business. They started small at a local market and exploded with popularity from there. Waffle flavors come in chocolate, red velvet, coconut, matcha and more while the filling options are pretty much endless. You are basically only limited by your imagination and just how much of these delicious treats they have in stock! Go indulge your childhood dessert dreams and gorge yourselves on these waffles. I know I will!

Big Gay Ice Cream

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What began as an ice cream truck in 2009 morphed into a critically-acclaimed ice cream shop in Philadelphia and New York City. Their mission? To keep the fun in ice cream. The second you step into their shop or buy their to-die-for ice cream, you’ll know they’ve succeeded and then some. I went to their Philly location a few years ago and had my mind blown, so I can officially say it’s as incredible as it looks. While incredibly large and topped-to-the-max ice cream is always a winner in my book, they also support many local organizations and causes including LGBTQ+ organizations, animal shelters, hunger initiatives, and more.

Black Tap Milkshakes

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When you picture a milkshake, I guarantee you aren’t thinking of these epic concoctions. Black Tap Burgers and Craft Beer is a burger joint with a 90s vibe situated in SoHo. While they have won awards for their savory food, their milkshakes almost broke the internet. If you want a milkshake that is almost a foot tall (sometimes more), decked out in cookies, candies, drizzle, whole ice cream sandwiches, and basically anything that would taste great on a milkshake, get yourself to one of their locations.

Clinton Hall Waffles

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Inspired by the Revolutionary War era fort, Clinton Hall, in nearby Battery Park, Clinton Hall (the restaurant) gleaned the name and ran with it. The site of the fort also happened to be the same spot where America’s first beer garden, so Clinton Hall of modern times is protecting its customers from bad beer. Not only do they offer booze, but they offer some of the best burgers in town while providing an atmosphere that encourages human interaction (yes, please!).

Good beer, good food, wait…where’s the dessert? HOLY CRAP that’s the dessert? Picture layers of waffle, ice cream, cake, waffle cone, candy, whole slices of cake, you name it. Each gigantic waffle is piled, and I mean PILED, with dessert-y goodness that will make you glad you can walk the streets of NYC afterwards to help ease your gigantic food baby. You won’t have any regrets though. It’s just that delicious.

Balaboosta Stuffed Cookies

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If you’ve ever had to make the excruciating decision between eating a brownie or a cookie, you don’t ever have to anymore. Melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chunk cookies are bursting with fudge brownies and I honestly can’t imagine anything better to eat right now. If brownies aren’t your favorite, why not try cookie-stuffed cookies? Double the adventure, double the scrumptious.

Balaboosta is the yiddish word for the perfect woman who does it all and does it perfectly. This couldn’t describe Melissa Schack any better if it tried. Armed with a love of all things desserts, Melissa decided after a lifetime of baking for fun, for coworkers, and for friends and family to open her own business. The rest is history. A decadent, delicious history that I can’t wait to try.

Piecaken

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Inspired by a tur-duck-en of all things, the PieCaken was born in New York from the creative brain of Chef Zac Young. After their debut Thanksgiving Piecaken where they ended up using all of the pumpkin puree to be found in NYC, they knew they had struck baking gold. The team quickly opened up a shop and they’ve been letting the creative buttercream, pie, and cake juices flow.

Want a custom cake? Done. Want a Swiss roll topped PieCaken? Done. Event and holiday themed ones? Even better. THEY EVEN MAKE CUPCAKE VERSIONS. I can’t emphasize how much I love this idea. All of it makes me so hungry. If we weren’t in the middle of a pandemic I would be driving to New York right now.

Which One(s) Were Your Favorite!?

I could talk about this post for weeks you guys. I love all of them, but I think you can probably tell which ones are my favorites. Needless to say, all of the baking creations will see the inside of my belly at some point. It’s just a matter of time.